The CIFTIS Belt and Road Culture and Tourism Forum for International Cooperation Held

Subtitle: Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei jointly promote regional tourism development, and Chinese and foreign guests discuss international cooperation in culture and tourism

On the afternoon of September 4, the 2023 CIFTIS Belt and Road Culture and Tourism Forum for International Cooperation took place at the Shougang Park. Under the guidance of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the event was co-organized by the Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC), Shijingshan District People’s Government, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, and the Beijing NGO Network for International Exchanges, with support from Tianjin People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Hebei People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The theme of the forum is “Deepen cooperation in culture and tourism, promote mutual learning among civilizations.”

The Forum brought together about 150 guests, including international guests from Indonesia, New Zealand, Pakistan,  Russia, Singapore, and Thailand, among other countries, experts and scholars from universities, representatives of culture and tourism enterprises, and representatives of overseas students studying in Beijing. They shared their views on international cooperation in culture and tourism and draw a blueprint for high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative through keynote speeches, round-table dialogue and achievements release.

The concil member representatives of BPAFFC and the member representatives of Beijing NGO Network for International Exchange were invited to the Forum.

Speeches of the Leadership

Yan Dong, Vice President of the CPAFFC

Culture and tourism are integrated and progress together with each other. They are an important channel for cultural exchanges and mutual learning among different countries and regions, and the best way to cement people-to-people bonds. Culture and tourism cooperation has promoted the in-depth interaction among BRI partner countries, and strengthened cultural communication and mutual trust among different countries and ethnic groups. The CPAFFC is willing to continue to support the culture and tourism exchanges and cooperation between Beijing and BRI partner countries, serve the city’s drive to develop into the national cultural center and the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, promote people-to-people exchanges and the exchange and mutual learning between civilizations, and continue to write a new chapter of the Silk Road.

Chang Wei, Secretary of Shijingshan District Committee of the CPC

Shijingshan has a distinct culture of western Beijing, which is a fusion of past and present and well-known at home and abroad. The district has been furthering international culture and tourism exchanges and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. In the future, it will continue to promote exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism in a wider scope, in more areas and at a deeper level, and actively serve China’s major-country diplomacy with own characteristics in the new era and Beijing’s function as a center for international exchanges.

Zhang Qian, Executive Vice President of BPAFFC

Collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative is based on people-to-people communication. Culture and tourism exchanges are an important way to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and promote mutual learning among civilizations. BPAFFC holds a parallel forum within the CIFTIS framework every year to jointly promote international cooperation in trade in services with friendship organizations and sister cities around the world. She sincerely hoped that within the CIFTIS framework, the participants of today’s Forum would conduct extensive and in-depth discussions, promote Chinese-foreign culture and tourism cooperation in the spirit of openness and shared benefits, and work together to write a new chapter in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Abdulrahman Ahmad Al-Harbi, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to China

Saudi Arabia and China attach great importance to aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the Saudi Vision 2030. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has put forward a number of cultural initiatives and will co-host the China-Saudi Digital Culture Year with China. China has agreed to list Saudi Arabia as a destination country for outbound tourist groups of Chinese citizens, which Saudi Arabia highly appreciates. The two countries should strengthen tourism cooperation, organize relevant promotion activities, tap into their rich tourism resources, take more joint actions in sustainable tourism, and promote the development of the tourism industry.

Arthayudh Srisamoot, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to China

The Forum provides an important opportunity for countries along the “Belt & Road” to exchange views and promote cultural cooperation. China and Thailand have been friendly since ancient times, and sent envoys to each other in as early as the Yuan Dynasty. This year, the two countries will strengthen non-governmental exchanges, involving students, media and sister cities. He hoped that the Forum would help representatives of all countries enhance mutual understanding and strengthen cooperation.

Keynote speeches

In the keynote speech session, speakers shared their views on the theme of “Deepen cooperation in culture and tourism, promote mutual learning among civilizations.” The speakers included Zheng Chengjun, Vice President of Beijing International Studies University; Li Xin, Deputy Secretary of the Shijingshan District Committee of the CPC; I.S. Sheglova, Executive Mayor of Chita City, Russia; Chris Lipscombe, National President of the New Zealand China Friendship Society; Ning Guoxin, Chief Administrative Officer of Utour Group. They discussed the important role played by the integrated development of urban culture and tourism in promoting international exchanges and cooperation and people-to-people communication, and expressed the hope of strengthening cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism.

Round-table dialogue

The round-table dialogue offered a good chance for interaction and in-depth exchanges. It involved six guests: Yin Yuan, Deputy Chief of Shijingshan District; Dong Yingming, Secretary-General of Tianjin People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; Liang Guohui, Level-II Bureau Rank Official of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hebei Provincial People’s Government; Bian Jianqiang, former ambassador of China; Lin Jiayi, Counsellor (Political) of the Singapore Embassy to China; and Tang Xiaoyang, head of the Department of International Relations of Tsinghua University and Professor of the China Academy of Belt and Road Initiative. They brainstormed on the topic of “promoting coordinated regional development and enhancing the vitality of the culture and tourism industries,” sharing with the audience the most cutting-edge ideas.

Achievements release

At the Forum, the Shijingshan District Government and the Cycling and Fencing Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China jointly launched the 2023 Belt and Road Diplomats Cycling Invitation Tournament. Shijingshan District Bureau of Culture and Tourism signed the framework agreement of cooperation with AoYou.com and China Tourism Group.

The Belt and Road Culture and Tourism Exhibition launched

The exhibition was jointly unveiled by Wang Yanxia, Vice President and Level I Bureau Rank Official of the BPAFFC; Jiao Yutong, Vice President of the BPAFFC; Li Xianxia, member of the Standing Committee of District Committee of the CPC, Executive Deputy Chief of Shijingshan; Yang Lianxia, Level II Bureau Rank Official of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism; Dong Yingming, Secretary-General of Tianjin People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; Liang Guohui, Level II Bureau Rank Official of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hebei Provincial People’s Government; Lin Jiayi, Counsellor of Singapore Embassy in China; and Dewi Avilia, Counsellor of the Indonesian Embassy in China.

The online exhibition was officially launched on the official website of the CIFTIS on September 2. Offline, amazing pictures about culture and tourism taken in 43 cities of 31 countries were selected and displayed at the Forum venue.

The online exhibition has gathered more than 50,000 views